Concrete-block machine



1,636,1 2 July 1927' J. H. MILLER 0 CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE Filed Sept.15. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l gm um 1 Tot 1,636,102 July 19 1927 H. MILLERCONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE Filed Sept. 15. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ag a; 5 H*4 i H T w 15 T I 2, 1a W W I Q1? Ml 85- [H 8 4 W Q Q I t 6 a a 09 2, atI 00 if: fig a Hi 1 i H 2?,

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J. H. MlLLER CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE Filed Sept. 15. 1924 -4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 1,636,1 2 y 1927' J. H. MILLER 0 CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE FiledSept. 15. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY MILLER, OF RISING SUN, OHIO.

CONCRETE-BLOCK MACHINE.

Application filed September 15, 1924. Serial No. 737,685.

different forms and sizes, such as building blocks and chimney blocks,may be made rapidly and yet manually. The invention provides a mold anda compressing means for compressing the material of which the blocks areformed, the mold being of such a character that a plurality of blocksmay be formed at one and the same time. The invention also provides amold having separating partitions for the formation of a plurality ofblocks and means for compressing the material between the partitions torapidly form compacted blocks and means for stripping the blocks fromthe partitioning plates. mold having sides that fold to the. mold form,while at the same time the mold and the partitioning plates are placedin their proper positions relative, one to the other, and after theblocks have been formed in the mold they are separated, one from theother.

The invention may be contained in structures of different forms. Toillustrate a practical application of the invention I have selected astructure containing the invention and shall describe it hereinafter.The structure selected is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates an end view of the machinecontaining my invention. Figure 2 illustrates a top view of the machine.Figure 3 illustrates a view of a section of the machine. Figure 4illustrates in part a front view of the machine and in part a view of asectionof the machine. Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of a partof the machine showing the position of parts of the machine when theblocks are completely formed. Figure 6 illustrates a View showing themold open and the blocks in position to be removed therefrom.

The frame 1 is made in the. form of a table, having'the parts of themachine supare placed in such a position that when the The inventionalso provides a mold is raised above them, the sides will drop open torender the blocks that are formed accessible for purposes of removal.The rollers 7 and 8 are supported in suitable parts of the frame 1 andso as to hold the sides of the molds in position while the molds arebeing filled with the material of which the blocks are formed and whilethey are being subjected to a high compression.

The block supporting plate 10 is located on the bottom 6 of the mold andso that through the bottom 6 of the mold and through the block supportinplate 10. The openings 13 formed in the ottom 6 of the mold arepreferably made considerably larger than the cross sectional area of thepartitioning plates in order that material may be discharged frombeneath the block sup-. porting plate 10. The openings 14 of the blocksupporting plate have an area substantially the same as that of thehorizontal cross sectional area of the partitioning plates to preventthe material of which the blocks are formed from being discharged fromwithin the mold when the blocks are subjected to high ressure. The plate10, however, has a wi th that is greater than the width of thepartitioning plates and also a length that is greater than the distancebetween the ends of the molds. The partitioning plate 10 has edgeportions that extend beneath the sides of the mold when the sides arefolded into position. When the mold is raised, the blocks that areformed between the partitioning plates are stripped from thepartitioning plates, since the bottom 6 and the block supporting plate10 are moved upward alon the partitioning plates 11. When the mol islowered to close the sides after another block supporting plate has beenplaced in position on the bottom, the bottom and the block supportingplate move downward along the parti tioning plates. The mold is thenfilled to the top with concrete or other material and the blocks areformed between the partitioning plates andthen removed from the mold,

. as described.

The mold is raised and lowered by any 2 suitable means, such as by meansof the racks that are connected to the bottom 7 6 of the mold. The racks15 move between the rollers 16 and the sector gears 17. They areactuated by the sector gearsl'Z, that are I located on the shaft 18 thatis oscillated by a'leverf'19. The sector gears 1"? are of a sizesuflicient to cause the bottom of the mold to be raised and lowered thelength of the blocks plus the amount. they are com? pressed in orderthat the block supporting plate may be lifted clear ofthe upper ends ofthe partitioning plates." Thus the levers 19 operate automaticallytoraise the mold, open the sides and strip the plates.

The material that is inserted between the partitioning plates andbetweenthe ends of the mold and the two outer partitioning plates iscompressed by means of the compression members 22 that are'secured tothe compression plate 23 by means of the screws 24. Adjoiningcompression members 22 are separated from each other by a distance thatis equal to substantially the thickness of the artitioning plates 11.When the moldhas eenfilled with the material from which. the blocks areto bev formed, the compression plate 23 is placed-in position and thenthe compression members and the compression plate are forced downward soas to cause the compression members 22'to pass down between thepartitions and compress the ma terial located in the several chambersthatare thus formed in the mold. The compresthe racks 25' that move.between the guides 26 and the pinions27. They are actuated by means ofthe pinions 27 with which they mesh. The .pinions 27 aresecured tothe.shaft 28 and the shaft 28 is actuated by the oscillating arm 29. Theshaft 28 may be supported on the swinging frame in roller bearings. Thelower endsof the racks may be provided with foot plates 30 that pressagainst the compression plate 23 to force the compression members down.into the compartments of-the mold. In order to con veniently place theracks 25 in position such. that they may engage the compression plateand yet so support themvthat they may be swung away from the top of themoldto enable convenient handling of the blocks after they are formed, aframe 31 is pivotally supported on the frame 1 of the machine. The frame31 comprises a pair of arched members 32 thatare pivotally connected tothe shaft 33 which extend through. ears 34 that project from a part ofthe frame 1, and also by the yoke 28 to which'the pinions 2'? are keyed.uThe arcuate members 32 are providedwith latches 35 located at theirfree ends and in position to engage fingers 36 that are secured to theframe of the machine.

when the frame31 issWung down into position the latches 35 may be easilyslipped over the ends of the fingers 36, and thus the frame 31 will beheld inposition notwithstanding the pressurethat may be produced by thepinions 27 and the racks 25. This will, force the compressionmembers 22into The latches 35 are pivotally' connected 'to the arcuate members 32and so that the chambers'of the mold to compress the blocks in each ofthe said chambers. The arm 29 may be a pipe that may be slipped over astud ll on the yoke 28 to which the i? pinions 2? are connected.

When the compression members 22 have been forced down so that thecompression plate 23 strikes the upper edge of the mold, the frame 31may be easily released from the frame 1 b ullin the latches 35 from theends of the fingers 36 and throwing back;

the frame 31. This may be done automatically as by a weight or a spring.In the form of construction shown, springs 38 may be connected to arms39 that are formed integral with the arcuate members 32 and thusconstitute a part of the frame 31.

lVhen the frame 31 is pulled over themold 31 to a position that it willbe removed from the bloeks when the mold has been raised.

Also when the mold is raised the sides of the mold drop down and theblocks. are stripped from the partitioning plates. It will thus be seenthat when the blocks are raised, they stand on the block supportingplate free from all encumbrances with the other parts of the machine,and so that the blocks may be picked up or slid off the top of themachine and placed upon a conveyor or any other suitable means andallowed to become hardened. V.

i claim I i 1. In a concrete block machine,a mold, a plurality ofpartitioning plates, a. plurality ofcompression members for compressingthe concretebetween the partitioning platesto form the blocks and havinga pressure. surface substantiallyequal to the area between the partitionplates, said mold havingsides pivoted to the remainder of the mold attheir bottom edges, rollers revolving on fixed axes and engaging thesides in lowered position of the mold, said sides being disengaged fromsaid rollers in raised position of the mold, and means to raise andlower the concrete between the partitioning plates to form the blocksand havinga pressure-sur face substantially equal to the area betweenthe partition plates, means for raising the blocks from between thepartitioning plates said mold having sides pivoted to the remainder ofthe mold at their bottom edges, rollers revolving on lixed axes andengaging the sides in lowered position of the mold, said sides beingdisengaged from said rollers in raised position of the mold, and meansto raise and lower the mold.

3. In a concrete block machine, a mold, a plurality of partitioningplates, a plurality of compression members for compressing the concretebetween the partitioning plates to form the blocks and having a pressuresurface substantially equal to the area between the partition plates, ablock supporting plate, means for raising the bloc s and the blocksupporting plates from the partitioning plates to permit removal of theblocks and the block supporting plates said mold having sides pivoted tothe remainder of the mold at their bottom edges, rollers revolving onfixed axes and engaging the sides in lowered position of the mold, saidsides being disengaged from said rollers in raised position of the mold,and means to raise and lower the mold.

4. In a concrete block machine, a mold. the sides of the mold pivotallyconnected to the bottom of the mold, a block supporting plate located onthe bottom of the mold, a base plate supported beneath the mold partitioning plates extending to the sides and secured to the base plateand means for raising the mold and the block supporting plate from thepartitioning plates and opening the mold sides to permit removal of thebloc s and the block supporting plate.

5. In a concrete block machine, a mold, a base plate, means for raisingand lowering the mold, sides of the mold pivotally connected with thebottom of the mold, partitioning plates extending to the sides andconnected to the baseplate, compression members having a pressuresurface substantially equal to the area between the partition plates andfor compressing the concrete between the partitioning plates and meansfor raising the mold and the blocks from the partitioning plates.

6. In a concrete block machine, a mold, partitioning plates located inthe mold, a pressure plate having pressure members, a means for forcingthe pressure plate towards the mold and forcing the pressure membersbetween the partitioning plates, a removable block supporting plateextending across the bottom of the mold, means for raising the mold fromthe partitioning plates to remove the block supporting plates and theblocks said mold having sides pivoted to the remainder of the mold attheir bottom edges, rollers revolving on fixed axes and engaging thesides in lowered position of the mold, said sides being disengaged fromsaid rollers in raised position of the mold, and means to raise andlower the mold.

7. In a. concrete block machine, a mold.

the sides of the mold pivotally connected to the bottom of the mold, abase plate, partitioning plates extending through the bottom of the moldand connected to the base plates and extei'iding to opposite sides,rollers for engaging the sides of the mold, means for raising the moldto open the sides and to strip the blocks from the partitioning platesand for lowering the mold to close the sides.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification.

JOHN HENRY MILLER.

